Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - How should the Democrats address Islamic Terrorism?

roachboy · 01-04-2005, 09:00 AM

there is obviously a link between the extent to which the democrats were "perceived" as "weak" and the central tenents of the bushcampaign as orchestrated by the good mr. rove, who showed no compunction about using the "terror alert" device to raise and lower the level of collective unease, sending the various members of the bushsquad (cheney in particular) around to say things on the order of "if you elect john kerry you will die a fiery painful death"---there is also obviously a link between this tactic and the fact that george w bush enters his second term with the lowest approval ratings ever recorded (since this kind of thing started being tracked, about 80 years) in that those who voted on this order voted bush for what amounts to negative reasons and now find themselves with variables like the assault on fallujah, the prospect of a dismantling of social security (incompetence and lunacy) etc etc....

i find it interesting the number of commentaries that assume that the conservative frame of reference is now somehow so dominant that every other political position has to adapt to it or die. i do not see anything about a 51-49% popular vote that warrants any such conclusion.

what i do see is an ideological offensive from the right that will probably play out in the way that most such offensives do--a period of momentum followed by a period of collapse followed by a period of flailing about for some distraction to avert public scrutiny from the aftereffects of an ill-advised, inadequately considered tactic.

the initial post, in my view, overestimates the role of ideology in shaping the election results, and underestimates the role played by grassroots organizing, via groups like the christian coalition who used the free publicity network provided by churches to advance their cause in terms not suited for mass media play (no need to be sane in the relatively invisible space of a evangelical pulpit--there anything goes--all that matters is the speakers sense of his or her own sincerity, regardles of how well or ill-informed that sincerity might be)...the creation of a rightwing political machine on the model of the old democratic machines in cities--no better, no worse, no different.

so i do not see why the democrats would need to adapt to this at all--i figure that the overwhleming incompetence of the bush administration will grind any value out of this issues politically after 4 more years of legal black holes, arbitrary military actions, disengenuous public statements, etc etc etc.
of course, if things get too out of hand, another attack might help out.
i am not suggesting anything about such an attack
only that it might help the right, if things otherwise unfold as it appears they will....

01-04-2005, 09:00 AM	#2 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	there is obviously a link between the extent to which the democrats were "perceived" as "weak" and the central tenents of the bushcampaign as orchestrated by the good mr. rove, who showed no compunction about using the "terror alert" device to raise and lower the level of collective unease, sending the various members of the bushsquad (cheney in particular) around to say things on the order of "if you elect john kerry you will die a fiery painful death"---there is also obviously a link between this tactic and the fact that george w bush enters his second term with the lowest approval ratings ever recorded (since this kind of thing started being tracked, about 80 years) in that those who voted on this order voted bush for what amounts to negative reasons and now find themselves with variables like the assault on fallujah, the prospect of a dismantling of social security (incompetence and lunacy) etc etc.... i find it interesting the number of commentaries that assume that the conservative frame of reference is now somehow so dominant that every other political position has to adapt to it or die. i do not see anything about a 51-49% popular vote that warrants any such conclusion. what i do see is an ideological offensive from the right that will probably play out in the way that most such offensives do--a period of momentum followed by a period of collapse followed by a period of flailing about for some distraction to avert public scrutiny from the aftereffects of an ill-advised, inadequately considered tactic. the initial post, in my view, overestimates the role of ideology in shaping the election results, and underestimates the role played by grassroots organizing, via groups like the christian coalition who used the free publicity network provided by churches to advance their cause in terms not suited for mass media play (no need to be sane in the relatively invisible space of a evangelical pulpit--there anything goes--all that matters is the speakers sense of his or her own sincerity, regardles of how well or ill-informed that sincerity might be)...the creation of a rightwing political machine on the model of the old democratic machines in cities--no better, no worse, no different. so i do not see why the democrats would need to adapt to this at all--i figure that the overwhleming incompetence of the bush administration will grind any value out of this issues politically after 4 more years of legal black holes, arbitrary military actions, disengenuous public statements, etc etc etc. of course, if things get too out of hand, another attack might help out. i am not suggesting anything about such an attack only that it might help the right, if things otherwise unfold as it appears they will.... __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite Last edited by roachboy; 01-04-2005 at 09:03 AM..